Space Exploration Technologies

IT Infrastructure Engineer, Virtualization & Storage

Space Exploration Technologies · Hawthorne, CA
Hawthorne, CA $130K–$175K Posted 2026-10-07
Salary
$130K–$175K
Type
Full-time
Experience
3+ yr

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

IT INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEER, VIRTUALIZATION & STORAGE

As an IT Infrastructure Engineer on the infrastructure team, you will collaborate with internal teams to deliver innovative solutions for SpaceX’s growing infrastructure demands. You will ensure quality and reliability of systems across the software lifecycle while scaling and supporting data center infrastructure, virtualization, Kubernetes, and storage environments. You should have strong opinions on designing, testing, and operating virtualization platforms and multi-tier storage (enterprise + HPC) and be ready to build the next generation of SpaceX data center platforms.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Implement and maintain a scalable, robust VMware environment and identify efficiencies supporting critical applications
  • Design, implement, and maintain storage infrastructure across high-performance, capacity, archive, backup/recovery, and disaster recovery tiers
  • Architect and operate high-throughput, low-latency storage and support exabyte scale file systems (e.g., VAST,) for simulation, telemetry, and high-concurrency workloads
  • Administer enterprise storage platforms (NetApp, Pure FlashArray/FlashBlade, Cohesity, Scality) and manage access controls, permissions, and protocols (NFS, CIFS/SMB, iSCSI)
  • Perform data center deployments, monitor performance, and troubleshoot production issues across virtualization, storage, transport (RDMA), and protocol layers
  • Develop automation/tooling for monitoring, capacity planning, configuration management, and alerting; define standards for deployment and performance tuning
  • Collaborate with compute, networking, and application teams to align virtualization and storage strategies with workload requirements
  • Participate in on-call rotation, scheduled maintenance, and occasional physical installation support

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor’s degree in information systems, computer science, engineering or related technical field and 3+ years of engineering experience in an enterprise environment; OR 5+ years of engineering experience in lieu of a degree
  • 1+ years of professional experience managing virtualized server environments
  • 5+ years of experience in IT storage engineering with enterprise platforms (NetApp, Pure Storage, Scality, Vast or similar)

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

  • Experience with full lifecycle management of large-scale VMware environments and supporting container infrastructure with Kubernetes
  • Experience with data center infrastructure management (DCIM) tools
  • Deep knowledge of RDMA, congestion control, lossless Ethernet, RoCEv2, and/or InfiniBand storage fabrics in HPC or latency-sensitive environments
  • Experience automating infrastructure with Python, PowerShell, or Ansible
  • Familiarity with HPC schedulers (Slurm, LFS) and how storage tiers interact with job scheduling
  • Linux and Windows OS system administration experience
  • Exceptional analytical and troubleshooting skills; strong written and verbal communication
  • Willingness to respond to after-hours triage and operational support
  • Strong understanding of storage protocols (NFS, CIFS/SMB, iSCSI) and experience with client/server systems, monitoring tools, enterprise networking, and virtualization

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range:
IT Infrastructure Engineer: $130,000.00-$175,000.00/per year

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

  • To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here .

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to  [email protected] .

KubernetesPython
$110K — 10th pctl $265K — 90th pctl
This role’s midpoint $152K vs. market median $180K for Engineering roles
-15%
below median
Based on 24,000+ Engineering roles with disclosed salary ranges tracked on NewJob.
SpaceX

SpaceX

Aerospace · Private · Starbase, USA

Stage & Valuation
Private · $350B
Key Investors
Founders Fund, Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital
Open roles on NewJob
Most hiring in
Engineering (206) · Operations (117) · Finance (19)
SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft, with the goal of enabling human life on Mars. The company operates the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship launch vehicles, and the Starlink satellite internet constellation.
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